The Somerset reporter., 1887-12-21
Ancient and Modern.
For the Grange Colunm.l

In the days of the old Roman Republic
at one time the citizens were divided i'll
to two classes, Patrons and clients and
rom this antecedent comes the name of
patron In English, paronus in Latin
The relation of Patron to client was
much the same rs father to u son, and
was hereditary and continuous through
all the generations, and even now and
| here we have some of its characteristic
| in our population and in its usages. The
clients were much the larger part of the
population and were snbservient to the
patrons In almost all respects. The
client could not appear against his patron
In case Of suit In behalf of the State
neither the patron against the client and
If the client committed any outrage
against his patron he had to submit to
him as his Judg,, and at one time the life
of the client was In the hands of the
Patron to do as he pleased with II. The
only safety the client had against the
arbitrary power of the patrons was In
the obligations conta ned in the tenets of
their religion. The terms patron and
client bear much the SHINE relation to
each other now that they did hundreds of
years ago. The patron of any enterprise
or art is one who is not only willing but
anxious to use his personal efforts, his
| financial efforts and If need be his phys-
cal efforts. De Witt Clinton, threw his
whole force into the construction of the
Erie canal Professor Morse cast his into
the varied successes of the Telegraph
System. Fulton wasted his life OH the
effort to control steam, and his effort
cost him his life and property.
Goodyear was u martyr to the rubber
business, and the merest child who
wears a rubber overshoe derives more
benefit from the invention than did the
inventor himself. Oakes Ames was al
most martyr to the Pacific Railroad, and
that politice financial hurry the credit
.Nobelier without which In all probability
the Pacific r. r., would have been years
IN building Edison who has done more
to perfect the electric light than any liv-
ing man is intensely devoted to his en-
terprise, and almost entirely careless of
everything else. 1t is said of him that
the evening after he was married in the
morning he was completely absorbed in
the mysteries of the electric current,
till near midnight when some one come
alter him and told him his wife wanted
him and he had forgotten he was mar
ried Such men of whom the world is
hardly worthy were Patrons when to be
Patrons was costly to body, soul and
purse, and we in these later days are
receiving the benefit of their hard. long
enduring patronage, of the enterprises
to which they devoted their almost super
human efforts and untiring energies. If
we who are denoted Patrons in our ritual
would but play on not work the surface
of the earth as a means of Improvement
of agriculture and discovery of useful
helps in the business either in machines
or In manures as the Patrons have nam
ed did In their avocations, bread and
meat would be very much cheaper than
now and still have no doubt the pro-
ducer be better paid than he Is now.
From these men we learn that to be a
patron of an enterprise we must If may
use the term swear by it, talk It, fear it,
act 1t. go for 1t, and do it. These are the
only conditions of sucesss Eternal vigil
lance'is the price Of liberty and eternal
labor, the price of success. God will
give all things to labor but not in whole
sale quantities perhaps but enough and
to spare Now Brother Patrons to the
work. The country Is full of money every
thing Is booming, there is III dicker trade,
money more or less for every thing, and
money will buy machines AMI lnanures
pay help and keep the crops growing.
Go In strong brave and courageous and
your reward is certain. Make your hay
when the sun shines.